The Higherside Chats

Professor Jiang Xueqin | Sabbatai Zevi, Jacob Frank, & The Secret Faith Of Power

5 snips
Dec 28, 2025
In this insightful talk, Professor Jiang Xueqin, creator of Predictive History, delves into the esoteric links between Sabbatean Frankism and modern power structures. He explores the historical context of Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank, discussing their controversial claims and methods of influence. Jiang examines how storytelling acts as social engineering, shaping consciousness among elites. He draws parallels between Frankist ideas and contemporary figures like Zuckerberg and Kushner, while warning about potential societal risks and advocating for resilience in the face of future challenges.
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INSIGHT

Sabbethean Frankism As A Root Of Modernity

  • Sabbatean Frankist ideas underlie many modern movements like communism, Freud's psychology, and occult symbolism in statecraft.
  • Jiang argues these 17th–18th century currents shaped modernity's myths, institutions, and elite culture.
ANECDOTE

Sabbatai Zevi's Conversion And The Dönmeh

  • Sabbatai Zevi declared himself Messiah in 1666 then converted to Islam under threat, which some followers saw as an act to redeem converted Jews.
  • Jiang cites the Dönmeh families who remained crypto-Jews and later embedded in Ottoman power structures.
INSIGHT

Inversion And Justification By Sin

  • Frankist doctrine emphasizes inversion and justification by intentional sin as proof of true faith and spiritual audacity.
  • Jiang connects that ethic to elite practices of secrecy, transgression, and moral exceptionalism.
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